From the electronic version of Prairie Farmer is a disquieting story on pumpkin risk: Phytophthora Blight Is Popping Up in Pumpkin Fields Across the State.

Wet conditions have Illinois pumpkin growers on the alert for signs of Phytophthora blight in their fields. This disease nearly destroyed the pumpkin industry in 1999, causing up to 100% crop losses in parts of the state. While it's not a new disease to this industry, it is the most devastating and it's already showing up in Illinois.Mohammad Babadoost, University of Illinois Extension specialist in fruit and vegetable pathology, says, "An outbreak of Phytophthora blight in Illinois could devastate most of the country's supply of processed pumpkins and other cucurbit crops in Illinois."Illinois-grown processing pumpkins account for nearly 95% of the pumpkins grown in the United States for use in pies, breads, and other foods. Illinois has approximately 25,000 acres of processing and jack-o-lantern pumpkins with a gross value exceeding $160 million per year. Not only is it the biggest vegetable industry in the state, it's also a great source of agri-tourism drawing huge crowds to choose jack-o-lantern pumpkins from fields each fall. This disease caused by Phytophthora capsici affects all cucurbits and peppers. Cucurbits include pumpkins, watermelon, honeydew, squash, zucchini, cucumbers and other vine vegetables. This disease affects both commercial and home gardeners.

Don't count on the supply of canned pumpkin being replenished very well. The article does have some prevention methods that are available even if they are not highly effective.

ekreider wrote:From the electronic version of Prairie Farmer is a disquieting story on pumpkin risk: Phytophthora Blight Is Popping Up in Pumpkin Fields Across the State.

Wet conditions have Illinois pumpkin growers on the alert for signs of Phytophthora blight in their fields. This disease nearly destroyed the pumpkin industry in 1999, causing up to 100% crop losses in parts of the state. While it's not a new disease to this industry, it is the most devastating and it's already showing up in Illinois.Mohammad Babadoost, University of Illinois Extension specialist in fruit and vegetable pathology, says, "An outbreak of Phytophthora blight in Illinois could devastate most of the country's supply of processed pumpkins and other cucurbit crops in Illinois."Illinois-grown processing pumpkins account for nearly 95% of the pumpkins grown in the United States for use in pies, breads, and other foods. Illinois has approximately 25,000 acres of processing and jack-o-lantern pumpkins with a gross value exceeding $160 million per year. Not only is it the biggest vegetable industry in the state, it's also a great source of agri-tourism drawing huge crowds to choose jack-o-lantern pumpkins from fields each fall. This disease caused by Phytophthora capsici affects all cucurbits and peppers. Cucurbits include pumpkins, watermelon, honeydew, squash, zucchini, cucumbers and other vine vegetables. This disease affects both commercial and home gardeners.

Don't count on the supply of canned pumpkin being replenished very well. The article does have some prevention methods that are available even if they are not highly effective.

Timely update, as I just ran out of my pumpkin stash this week. How terrible for the Illinois farmers.

The headline sounds more alarming than the story itself, which reads as if it were written from a press release by the extension service:

Babadoost and fellow researchers have devised an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to minimizing the devastation of this disease. In fact, in the past 10 years, they've been able to reduce crop loss from an average of 30% loss per year to less than 10% loss per year.

"To prevent this disease, we recommend crop rotation of three years or longer with non-host crops, followed by seed treatment and routine scouting, especially of low areas in fields," Babadoost explains. "Management of this disease requires serious, intensive work by growers, processing companies and Extension personnel. In general, no single method provides adequate control."

They aren't citing any recent crop losses or cases of the disease, just warning that wet conditions are a risk.

Wet conditions have Illinois pumpkin growers on the alert for signs of Phytophthora blight in their fields. This disease nearly destroyed the pumpkin industry in 1999, causing up to 100% crop losses in parts of the state. While it's not a new disease to this industry, it is the most devastating and it's already showing up in Illinois.Mohammad Babadoost, University of Illinois Extension specialist in fruit and vegetable pathology, says, "An outbreak of Phytophthora blight in Illinois could devastate most of the country's supply of processed pumpkins and other cucurbit crops in Illinois."Illinois-grown processing pumpkins account for nearly 95% of the pumpkins grown in the United States for use in pies, breads, and other foods. Illinois has approximately 25,000 acres of processing and jack-o-lantern pumpkins with a gross value exceeding $160 million per year. Not only is it the biggest vegetable industry in the state, it's also a great source of agri-tourism drawing huge crowds to choose jack-o-lantern pumpkins from fields each fall. This disease caused by Phytophthora capsici affects all cucurbits and peppers. Cucurbits include pumpkins, watermelon, honeydew, squash, zucchini, cucumbers and other vine vegetables. This disease affects both commercial and home gardeners.

(Emphasis is mine.)

This bit got my attention. I presume "vegetable industry" implies some combination of corn and soybeans not being considered "vegetables," rather "field crops," and "industry" meaning the combination of tourism, acreage, and sales.

Hi- The canned pumpkin at Aldi's is strictly a seasonal item. They get a huge supply of it about this time of year, and they sell it until they run out. I have gotten canned pumpkin at the Skokie Aldi's store, the beginning of January. Last year I checked the Aldi's store at Oakton/McCormick in December and they did not have any. I don't know if it was because this was a new location, and they never got any pumpkin, or they had just run out. The last time I got canned pumpkin at the Skokie Aldi's location in January of 2009, I believe it was 69 cents, so it has gone up. It is still cheaper than any place else. When I first started buying it at Aldi's it was 49 cents a can. Meijer's always has cheaper pumpkin than what you can get at Dominick's and Jewel too.

BTW- I was just in the Meijer's down the street from Golf Mill a few weeks ago, and the store is different from any other Meijer's stores I have been in. It is not open 24 hours, and it does not have a department store section like the other stores do. I took somebody in there to go clothes shopping, and after we could not find the woman's clothes department, we asked, and was told that they only had groceries there. Hope this helps, Nancy

Hi- I was just in the Aldi's on Oakton in Evanston, and their canned pumpkin is now $1.39 a can. It looks like they only had one box of canned pumpkin left. It looks like there either is a shortage of pumpkin, or people are hoarding it. Hope this helps, Nancy

NFriday wrote:Hi- I was just in the Aldi's on Oakton in Evanston, and their canned pumpkin is now $1.39 a can. It looks like they only had one box of canned pumpkin left. It looks like there either is a shortage of pumpkin, or people are hoarding it. Hope this helps, Nancy

there shouldnt be any shortage of pumpkin this year. i heard there was an excellent crop. justjoan

Hi- Somebody was asking about how Aldi's canned pumpkin compares to Libby's. I have used both of them, and Aldi's is just fine for baking. I use canned pumpkin for soup, muffins, bread, and pancakes, and Aldi's brand does just fine.

I guess I was right in that there is a scarcity of canned pumpkin after all. I knew when I saw the sign for $1.39 for canned pumpkin at Aldi's today, that something had to be going on.

BTW- Aldi's had lots of fresh pumpkin for $1.99 a piece today. You can use winter squash in place of pumpkin for pies. Some of the companies that make frozen pumpkin pie, actually use winter squash in place of pumpkin. A lot of people think that winter squash makes a better tasting pie. Thanks, Nancy

A spokeswoman for Libby's I talked to reports plenty of canned pumpkin, although it's still on "allocation," so they are doling it out to stores slowly so as to achieve wide coverage. If people are stocking up, some stores may run out between shipments.

The piece I saw on wet fields affecting this year's crop applied to pumpkins for fresh sales from southern Illinois, not canning pumpkins, of which over 80 percent are grown near the Libby's plant in central Illinois. And a University of Illinois Extension educator and several farmers I spoke to are all reporting fine crops in the Chicago area.